Clutch for wire-blocks.



J. H. BEECH. CLUTCH FOR WIRE BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1909.

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944,346, Patented Dec.28,1909.

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ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 HUMPHREY & SONS, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, A COPARTNERSHIP.

CLUTCH FOR, WIRE-BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 28, 1909,

Application filed May 1, 1909. Serial No. 493,434.

To all whom it may cone-em:

Be it known'that I,.JUAN H. REECE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of \Vill and State of Illinois, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Clutches for ire-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

The presentinvention relates more particularly to the construction and arrangement of the friction clutch mechanism which imparts rotary movement to the wire drawing block, and'to the self-regulating means for maintaining the frictional members in predetermined positions of adjustment with respect to one another, so that frictional engaging action of the clutch members will be unlformlymaintaineddesplte the wear incident'to the operation of the device.

Further objects-will appear from a detail description of the invention, which consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan'view of the-drawing block, showing the friction members mainly in elevation;

Fig. 2 a sectionalelevation taken through the wire'drawing block on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a sectional detail of the spindle and hub, showing the method of conveying air to the cylinder; and Figs.- 4: and 5 details of the automatic adjusting mechanism.

The mechanism of the present invention is applied toa 'wire drawing block 6. having a substantially cylindrical wall 7 offset and flanged around itslower edge 8 to embrace the rim of a spidcrt provided at its center with a=hub 10which is loosely mounted upon a spindle 11, the outer end of which is entered through a collar 12 formed in the center of the roof or'top 13 of the block. Located within the interior of the block and keyed to the spindle 1.1. is a cylindrical sleeve ll which merges into a floor plate 15, around the edge of whlchextends a split expansible friction ring 16' which carries around its outer face a band 17 of suitable friction material; which isadapted to be forced against the inner'face-of the surrounding wall of the block by'the expansion of the split ring. The split ring, which is disconnected from the rotating floor plate 15 which it surrounds, is given a rotary impetus in the proper direction by an arm. 18, which extends outwardly from the upper end of the face of the split expansible ring, whichlug is located near the. split end of the ring, which split is bridged over by the outer end of the arm 18. The lug 19 merges into an upper rib 20 which cooperates with a lower rib 21 to afford a mounting for a pivot pin 22 extend ing vertically through upper and lower toggle arms 23, which pair of arms engage the outer sides of the upper and lower ribs 20 and 21, as indicated in Fig. 2. The free ends of the toggle arms are spaced and connected by means of a block 21 which is pivoted between the ends of the toggle arms and receives the outer end of a piston rod 25, the inner end of which is pivoted between cars 26 on a piston 27 located within a cylinder 28 adapted to receive a charge of compressed air through an air hose 29 which leads from the head of the cylinder and connects with a nipple 30, as best shown in Fig. 3. Between the toggle arms is trunnioned a block 31 which has entered therethrough a bushing collar 32 provided with an enlarged head 33, as shown in Fig. 4. The collar is bored out and threaded to receive the threaded end 31 of a toggle rod 35, the outer end of which is pivoted between ears 36 formed on the inner face of the split ring on the section of the ring opposite to that which carries the ribs 20. The arrangement is such that a forward movement of the piston serves to extend the toggle and thereby expand the split ring to the extent necessary to clutch the surrounding block.

In order to compensate for wear and to maintain the necessary adjustment of the parts, the bushing collar 32 has screw threaded to its outer end a ratchet wheel 37. the elevation of which in the proper direction serves to feed back the toggle rod to the extent necessary to compensate for the wear ing down of the friction band carried by the split ring. The ratchet wheel is adapted to be engaged by a sprin -supported dog 38, whichis pivoted within a block 39 slid'abl mounted within a guide block 40 which projects inwardly from one side of the trunnioned block 31. The guide block is provided in its upper surface with a slot 41. which affords a clearance through which projects a guide bolt v 12 which is surrounded by washers 43 and an interposed sprmg 4-1 which can be regulated and locked by means of nuts and 46, thereby'holding the dog block and guide block in sliding contact with i one another. The guide block will move with each movement of the toggle members,

block and passed through a lug 48 on the floor plate 15, to which the rod can be locked in adjusted position by means of inner and outer adjusting nuts 49 and jam nuts 50.

The spindle 11 is provided in its center with a bore 51 which affords space for the passage of a stationary compressed air pipe f 52 adapted to supply air to the nipple 30. The bore 51 merges into an enlar ed chamber 53 which extends to the top of the spindle and is closed at its upper end by a block 5.4, the inner end 55 of which is reduced and threaded to receive the upper end of a bushing 56, through the lower end 57 of which the stationary pipe is entered. The pipe is provided with a ring shoulder 58, which serves to compressa fiber packing 59 and is of a diameter to closely engage the walls of the bushing and afford a closed receptacle for grease which serves to form an air seal around the upper end of the pipe and at the same time to allow the spindle with its bushing and connected parts to revolve around the pipe as a center. Between the bushing and the floor of the chamber 53 is inter-' admission of air serves to thrust forward the piston rod, which movement straightens the toggle to the extent necessary to spread the ends of the split ring; and thismovement of the toggle will move the ratchet wheel outwardly with respect to the dog which occupies a fixed position. Thereafter, when pressure is released from the cylinder, the split ring, by reason of its spring action, will tend to return to its normal or contracted position, and this return movement, with one of the ratchet teeth against the dog, will serve to rotate the bushing 32 which surrounds the threaded nut of the toggle rod, with the result that the toggle rod will be rotated and given a longitudinal movement, thereby lengthening the span of the toggle and spreading the split friction ring accordingly. By repeating the same operation several times, the toggle rod will be automatically projected tent.

clutching or expanding movement of .the.

split ring will be too slight to carry a given tooth beyond thedog, and this will constitute a proper adjustment of the parts. Thereafter the movement of the split ring necessary to throw the clutch will bejust suflicient to release the parts on thereturn movement, and this adjustment will be maintained until the continued wearing of the friction band,.incident to the operation of v the clutch, has reduced the diameter "of'the band to such a degree as to produce an excessive movement of the parts, atwhich time the ratchet Wheel will be moved sufliciently to permit the dog to spring into engage ment with the next tooth onthe ratchet wheel, thereby again adjusting the toggle rod and proportionately spreading the split ring to compensate for the wear in the frictionband. I

The operation of the device, both as regards the initial adjustment and as :regards the automatic maintenance of the clutch members in proper position, is such that the parts can be regulated and maintained-with extreme nicety, and the uniform-tension of the wire regulated accordingly to a much more perfect degree than would be ossible in the absence of theautomatic. a justing mechanism. The mounting for the rotating parts, moreover, is one which permits air tobe supplied to the block, at the most con-- venient point, without leakage and without complicating the bearings to amarked ex- The use of automatic means for throwing the clutch permits the tension of the Wire to be varied to any-desired extent, and permits a very powerful clutching action to be applied to the block when desirable. Y

WVhat I claim by Letters Patent is: 1 1

1. In a clutch, the combinationof 'fixedand movable clutch elements, toggle mechanism adapted when spread to throw the movable clutch element into clutching position, a ratchet. wheelon the toggle mechanism adaptcd when rotated-to 'incrcasez'the spread of the toggle, and a dog mounted adjacent to said ratchet wheel and-adapted to rotate the same when the throw of theztogglc becomes excessive, substantially as described.

2. In a clutch, thecombination of afixed clutch element in the formof a cylindrical wall, a movable clutchelement'in the form of a split expansible ring having afriction surface adapted to engage the wall a toggle mechanism connectedw-ith the endsqofathc split ring and adaptedw-hen spread to ex as new and desire-to secure- In a clutch, the combination of a fixed clutch element in the form of a cylindrical wall, a movable clutch element in the form of a split expansible ring having a friction surface adapted to engage the wall, a mechanism connected with the ends of the split ring and adapted when spread to expand the ring to clutching position, means for actuating the toggle, a ratchet wheel con nected with, the toggle and adapted to increasethe spread thereof to compensate for the wearing of the clutching surfaces, and a dogmounted adjacent to the ratchet wheel and adapted to impart rotation thereto when the movement of the toggle is increased to the extent of carrying a ratchet tooth past the dog, substantially as described.

4. In a clutch, the combination of a fixed element in the form of a cylindrical wall,'a

movable element in the form of a split ring having a clutching surface adapted to engage the wall, a rotating spindle, an arm connected with the spindle and'adapted to engage the split ring, a toggle comprising an arm pivoted to the split ring near one end thereof and a rod pivoted to the other end ofthe split ring and pivotally connected to the arm, means for imparting-movement to the free end of the arm, and means for automatically extending the toggle rod when the latter is subjected to excessive movement due to a wearing of the friction surfaces, substantially as described.

5. In a clutch, the combination of a fixed element in the form of a cylindrical wall, a movable element in the form of a split ring having a clutching surface adapted to engage the wall, a rotatin' spindle, an arm connected with the spind e and adapted to engage the split ring, a toggle comprising an arm pivoted to the split ring near one end thereof and a rod pivoted to the other end i of the split ring and pivotallyconnected to the arm, means for imparting movement to the free end of the arm, a ratchet wheel adapted when rotated to impart an adjusting movement adapted to lengthenthe toggle rod, and a dog adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and to rotate the same when said wheel is subjected to excessive lateral movement, substantially as described.

(3. In a clutch, the combination of a fixed element in the form of a cylindrical wall, a

movable element in the form of a split ring having a clutching surface adapted to engage the wall, a rotating spindle, an arm connected wit-h the spindle and adapted toengage the split ring, a toggle comprising an arm pivoted to the split ring near one end thereof and a rod pivoted to the other end of the split ring and pivotally connected to the arm, a cylinderand piston for imparting movement to the free end of the arm, and means for automatically extending the toggle rod when the latter is subjected to exoessive movement -due to a wearing of the friction surfaces, substantially as described.

7. In a clutch. the combination of a fixed element in the form of a cylindrical wall, a mcvable element in the form of a split ring having a clutching surface adapted to engage the wall, a rotating spindle, an arm connected with the spindle and adapted to engage the split ring, a toggle comprising an arm pivoted to the split ring near one end thereof and a rod pivoted to the other end of the split ring and pivotally connected to the arm, a cylinder and piston for imparting movement to the free end of the arm, a

ratchet wheel adapted when rotated to impart an adjusting movement adapted to lengthen the toggle rod, and a dog adapted to engage the ratchet wheel and to rotate the same when said" wheel is subjected to excessive lateral movement, substantially as described.

8. In a' clutch, the combination of a fixed clutch element in the form of acylindrical wall, a movable clutch element in the form of a split expansible ring having a friction surface adapted to engage said wall, two arms pivoted to the expansible ring near one end thereof, a block trunnioned between the arms, a toggle rod having its inner end adjustably mounted within the trunnioned block and having its outer end pivoted to the expansible split ring near the other end thereof, means for imparting a clutching movement to the arms, a ratchet wheel mounted on the inner end of the toggle rod and adapted when rotated to extend the same, and a dog positioned to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel and impart rota- 7 tion thereto when the clutching movement 9. 'In a clutch, the combination of a fixed clutch element in the form of a cylindrical wall, a movable clutch element in the form of a split expansible ring having a friction surface adapted to engage said wall, two arms pivoted to the expansible ring near one end thereof, a block trunnioned between the arms, a toggle rod having its inner end adjustably mounted within the trunnioned block and having its outer end pivoted to the ex ansible split ring near the other end thereo a piston rod and piston connected with the free ends of the arms,- a cylinder within which the piston operates, a pipe for supplying air to the cylinder, a spindle for mounting the movable elements, a stationary air pipe entered through the center of the spindle, a packing for the upper end of said pipe, a ratchet wheel mounted on the inner end of the toggle rod andada'pted when rotated to extend the same, and a dog positioned to engage the teeth of the ratchet clutching movement becomes excessive due to Wearing of the clutching surfaces, substantially as described.

10. In a clutch, a fixed element in the form of a cylindrical Wall, a movable element in the form of a split ring having a friction surface adapted to engage said wall, means for, expanding said ring, a frame for supporting said means, a spindle to which said frame 's rigidly secured, a stationary air supply hipe passing up through said spindle and provided near its upper end with a ring or shoulder, a bushing surrounding the upper end of said air supply pipe, a packingv between the lower end of the bushing and cylinder for moving the clutch actuating means, and a connection between the cylinder and the nipple for supplying air to the cylinder, substantially as described.

' JUAN H. REESE.

- Witnesses LEWIS W. CONNELL, H. B. DEMPSEY. 

